


Cherry Blossom Scented Letters

by KittyGems



Category: Asagao Academy: Normal Boots Club
Genre: A lot of fluff I'll tell you what, Based around the PBG Route, F/M, Side project maybe???, The pairing is called Cake someone help me, kinda angsty, this is literally trash, updates will be spontaneous
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-09
Updated: 2017-04-08
Packaged: 2018-08-13 23:58:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 16,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7991080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittyGems/pseuds/KittyGems
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Along with Hana, Calliope is another new girl in Asagao Academy. While not a main character, she'll be experiencing the other side of the coin. In short, Luke needs help with writing the letters to Hana, and Calliope agrees to help. Little does she know agreeing will either make or break her first year in Asagao Academy. Only time will tell.</p><p>Based around the PBG route.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Trains and Meetings

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This is just a me, aka Kitty project. Tori might help as a beta reader but for now it's just a me project. It's been in the works for a while, and I hope you guys enjoy it ;7;
> 
> Once again this is based around the PBG route, but it'll focus more on behind the scenes when Luke writes the letters and such.

 A train chugged along a track, many in uniforms, some in regular clothes. A lone girl laid in a compartment, every bump making her head bob a bit. She had wavy dirty blonde hair with two purple streaks in the front, her gray eyes staring up at the ceiling. She had the standard uniform on, a yellow sweater vest, white collared button up, blue ascot tied around her neck, black skirt, though the shoes sat on the floor, white socks only on. Her hands were behind her head, purple and white headphones on which were attached to an ePhone. She had a content smile on her face, listening to some sort of pop song.

The train halted, making her move a bit. She grunted, sitting up, only to regret it as the blood rushed out of her head, making her dizzy. She stood up, quickly putting on the oxfords on the floor and grabbing a black and white suitcase from the holder above her. She grabbed the blue jacket that was on the other seat, tying it around her waist, putting her headphones around her neck and placing her phone into her pocket. She then stepped out of the doors, the fresh scent of Morning Glory and other flowers wafting through the air.

"Asagao Academy…" She mumbled. She walked up to the gates, being buzzed in. The huge gates squeaked as they opened, and the blonde heard the rolling of a suitcase behind her. She looked back to see a girl with vibrant pink hair, with black framed glasses and a bright red ribbon in her hair.

"O-Oh! Hi…" The shorter girl mumbled. While the blonde was about 5'6, this girl was 5'2 by the looks of it.

"Hi there. New too?"

"Yeah… H-Hana Mizuno is my name…"

"Calliope Koizumi. Nice to meet you. Call me Callie though." Calliope greeted, giving the pinkette a warm smile. They both walked in together, silent as they had nothing to talk about other than that. Hana left Calliope, wheeling off to somewhere else. Calliope didn't blame her; she seemed really shy and modest. The taller girl scanned the area, admiring the scenery.

"You must be Calliope." A monotone voice said, spooking her. She turned, meeting eye to eye with a blue eyed, black haired girl. The jacket was slung over her shoulder, which was understandable. Even Calliope couldn't understand how Hana was fine in the jacket even though it was a pretty warm day.

"Uh, yeah. Call me Callie though." Calliope replied.

"The name's Yuki. Yuki Suzuki. And yes I do know my names rhyme." She explained. "You're gonna be my roommate. They told me about that yesterday…" She went quiet, and Calliope could only awkwardly nod in reply. Yuki turned, facing a pink house. "This way."

She led Calliope to the Primrose House, the dorm they'd be sharing for two more years, if including this one. Yuki gave her a room key as they advanced to the third floor, and Yuki unlocked the door with "320" engraved on it.

It was a pink room, with wooden floors, two desks at the opposite ends of the room, one white side table, pink curtains, two closets, and one vanity. The top bunk was already claimed by the brunette, who covered it in gray and red sheets. Calliope stripped the bottom bunk and laid out her own purple comforter and green pillows. She turned, seeing that Yuki was at the desk, writing away, books beside her. It seemed that she already began to study mushroom kingdoms and samurai battles, so Calliope left the room to explore on her own. She stepped away from the door as a redhead and Hana opened the doors.

"Oh, hey! Sorry if I nearly hit you!" The redhead proclaimed.

"It's fine."

"Oh! You're new aren't you? I haven't seen you around. I'm Mai Sasaki." Mai introduced.

"Calliope Koizumi. Call me Callie." Mai smiled and nodded.

"I'm guessing you already know Hana?"

"...Yeah, actually." Calliope replied. Mai chuckled,

"See you around!" The excitable redhead grabbed Hana and then went up to the third floor themselves. Calliope watched for a second and then went out into the academy's grounds. Calliope deep down wished she had a roommate like Mai; she practically radiated happiness, while Yuki was cold as snow (no pun intended).

"I wonder if there's anything to do…" She mumbled, walking around campus. She looked over, spotting the library. She smiled, walking inside. It was warm she mused, but a good kind. Of course it was quiet, and quite empty. She walked around a bit, running her fingers across the spines of the books. It wasn't dusty she found, and the books were actually used. It was a change; usually people used the Internet. She picked out a random book, smiling. She loved fiction and fantasy books the most, and this one seemed perfect.

 _Barry Motter and the Professor's Gem._ It sounded familiar, she mused. She checked it out, the librarian looking annoyed and angry at something. Calliope didn't question it though as she placed her headphones on and put on her music. She was gonna look for a good place to read the book, as it was obvious Yuki didn't want to be disturbed. She opened the book, reading the excerpt as she kept walking. She knew it was a bad idea deep down but then again no one was really in the area.

That is until she rammed into someone.

"Awh shit sorry!" She cried, pulling down her headphones. She looked up at the guy, noticing that he was wearing a yellow varsity jacket with a patch on it. He had a black SnapBack on, with gentle blue eyes and dark brown hair peeking out from under the cap, and had a bit of stubble. She blushed lightly, meeting his eyes.

"Aye it's cool."


	2. Know You Better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I should say that Asagao belongs to Illus Seed.
> 
> But that's the only disclaimer I'm putting on here lmao.

Calliope gulped, blushing in embarrassment.

"Hey, is that Barry Motter?" He asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Oh? Y-yeah, it is." Calliope replied awkwardly. He grinned,

"You're gonna love it! It's a really great book from my childhood." He said excitedly. "Oh, I didn't catch your name."

"Erm… Calliope. Calliope Koizumi. Call me Callie though."

"Luke Sizemore." He shook her hand, making Calliope kick herself mentally. Since when was she awkward!? "So you a freshman?"

"Oh! No, I'm a third year." That snapped her out of her thoughts.

"Me too. Maybe we'll have similar classes." Luke replied, smiling, digging his hands into his pockets.

"Maybe."

"So where'd you move from?" He asked

"Kosumosu. Mom and Dad wanted me to get out of the city for a while and sent me here." Callie chuckled.

"That's pretty cool. I'm from America, but I transferred here freshmen year."

"I see, seeing that your name isn't really Japanese." She hummed. A ping sounded and Luke grabbed his phone from the varsity jacket, frowning.

"Sorry to cut off the convo, but I gotta go to my Hidden Block meeting." He said somberly, obviously a bit guilty for leaving suddenly.

"It's fine! I'm guessing that's what the jacket's for?" She asked, Luke nodding as he puts the phone back into his pocket.

"It was nice to meet you Cal. See ya during class tomorrow!" He waved one last time to her and left. Calliope smiled after him, an odd feeling in her chest. It was a tight yet nice and warm feeling, and she pulled back up her headphones, smiling and bouncing away, the book clutched tightly to her chest.

* * *

 

"This semester we have two new students. Calliope, Hana." Miss. Shizuka said, looking at the two. They sat one row away, Hana at the window while Calliope was in the middle. Yuki was a year younger, thus she was in a different class. "Would you like to introduce yourselves?" Calliope was one of the very first there before then, and her purple and black backpack lied hanging on the hook. The two girls nodded, and walked up to the black board. "Hana, you go first."

The pinkette was quiet at first, and Calliope noticed her knees were shaking. The blonde frowned, concerned for her. Hana's eyes shifted over to Mai in the back, and Calliope followed suit. The redhead was giving a big thumbs up, smiling.

"You moved here from Amarirsu, right?" Miss. Shizuka asked, obviously worried. Hana gulped, and nodded.

"Yes… I've just moved here. My name is Hana Mizuno. I transferred from Amarirsu Public High School." She smiled, placing her hands on her hips, more confident. "I'm really excited to be here. I hope you'll all take good care of me from now on." She bowed her head as the whole class clapped politely. Once she went back to her desk, Calliope cleared her throat.

"Hi everyone. I'm Calliope Koizumi, and I transferred here from Kosumosu Public High School." She greeted, crossing her arms. "My parents decided to get me a higher education, so I was moved here. I hope we can be great friends." Calliope smiled, everyone once again clapping politely. She found Luke in the crowd, and she grinned, waving slightly. He waved back, also smiling as Calliope went back to sit down at her desk.

Miss. Shizuka smiled, satisfied and turned, writing down the very first lesson.

* * *

 Calliope stood in front of the cafeteria, frowning. She held her tray full of food, not knowing where to sit. The cafeteria was bustling, chatter filling the air, so no one paid mind to the unsure girl. Hana and Mai sat in the back, but she wasn't sure if they were too much of close friends to her just yet. Plus, Yuki just gave her a sharp nod and went back up to the room to do work. Calliope could already tell this year was going to be very long and rough.

"Hey Callie!" A voice called, and she hummed in confusion, looking over. Luke was waving her over, where there were others with the same yellow/black varsity jacket sitting. She smiled, walking over and placing her tray at an empty spot, sitting down.

"So you're the new girl?" One guy asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Uh, yeah. Calliope Koizumi."

"I'm Wallid Kanaan." Wallid introduced, a small smile on his face.

"Jimmy Whetzel." Jimmy greeted cheerfully.

"Jeff Fabre." Jeff waved.

"James Caddick. Call me Caddy." Caddy huffed, like using the name "James" was an insult.

"And the one coming over now is Ian Macleod." Luke finished. The quiet man looked at Calliope curiously, looking at the others after for an explanation. "She doesn't have anywhere to sit. I'm guessing you finished your spoon spaghetti before we got here?" Ian nodded, sitting down by Jimmy, noticeably far away from Caddy. "This is the new girl Calliope Koizumi."

"Call me Callie." She replied, smiling. He nodded, looking at her.

"Nice to meet you. Though I did know her name from today." It felt off, but it wasn't exactly in a bad way. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the way he spoke was… different. She shook it off though, and smiled softly at them.

"Thanks for letting me sit with you guys. My roommate seems to be more of a introvert." Callie chuckled nervously.

"It's cool. So how are you liking Asagao so far?" Luke asked, eating his sandwich.

"I like it here so far. My roommate is a little cold, but I'm sure I can make her crack eventually." Callie slightly joked, eating soup.

"I'm guessing you and Yuki are roommates?" Wallid asked. Callie nodded, spooning in another thing of soup.

"Yeah."

"She's in my class. She's like Heather Ginger from that book." He explained, nodding at the Barry Motter book, which was placed right beside Callie.

"I see. Well, if Heather can warm up to Barry and Rick, I'm sure she can warm up to me." Callie replied confidently.

"Few have tried, they've mostly failed." Jimmy admitted, shrugging. Callie huffed, though a smile was on her face.

"She can't be cold around me forever." She scoffed, drinking from the water bottle she got.

"You seem pretty chill. I'm sure she won't resist your charms." Luke encouraged, making her blush lightly.

"Thanks Luke." She thanked, grinning. She finished up her soup, dumping her tray, walking back over to the Hidden Block's when she accidentally bumped into a slightly taller guy. "Oops! Sorry!" She apologized.

"It's no problem." A smooth voice said, and she looked up to meet dazzling blue eyes. Callie blushed lightly, the man giving her a small smirk. "You must be the new girl, Calliope?" He asked.

"Er, yes?" Calliope replied.

"I'm Jared. Nice to meet you." He greeted. She eyed him carefully, realizing, even with the minimal sunlight in the room, he seemed to be… sparkling?

"Nice to meet you too, Jared." She greeted back, and then walked back over to the group.

"You bumpin into everyone Cal?" Luke joked, making her blush wildly.

"Oh hush." She mumbled, opening her book to read it again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed. Constructive Criticism is always welcome. 
> 
> In about another chapter or so we'll be really kicking off this story. Gotta get through the first chapter first though. Hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> Also I may start adding little tidbits at the end notes, like little facts. But that won't happen for a while ;)
> 
> Chapter 3 is already being written so hopefully that'll be published by Monday or less.


	3. Explain This

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! This one is a bit longer as promised. I can't wait to get to the Flower Festival

The next day rolled around, and Yuki separated from Calliope. The blonde girl sighed, the younger and colder girl still not ever giving her a second glance. Calliope trudged up the stairs to her classroom, sitting down in her seat just as the bell rang.

"Hana?" Calliope snapped her head up to the irritated teacher, "If there is something more interesting outside than samurai death battles, please feel free to enlighten us. You came here to learn, not to contemplate the scenery." Miss Shizuka said bluntly. Calliope looked over to see Hana flashing a nervous look, and shook her head.

"Y-yes, Miss. Shizuka! I'm sorry!" Hana replied, and Miss. Shizuka rolled her eyes, turning back to the chalkboard. Calliope had been doodling on her notes, little chibi-like figures making her learning more interesting. Not a few seconds later she heard a soft groan, and looked over at Luke, who rubbed his head, and Ian, who wore his usual frown. His hand was raised but then fell back down in an instant, and Luke looked upset, making Calliope's stomach churn. Luke stole one more glance at Hana, and for some reason, Calliope felt… upset.

Despite that, she shook her head and continued on, making a chibi-drawing for Luke. It looked like the artstyle from Animal Intersection: Wild Planet, and all the games in general. She smiled softly, slowly tearing off the paper. Many minutes later Shizuka dismissed the class for lunch,

"Ok, everyone is almost free to go. The work tonight isn't so hard, so don't grumble. You should work together to complete it if you have a hard time. Also, as you may be aware, the Flower Festival is coming up in a week and a half." Calliope perked up at that. Flower Festival…?

People let out some cheers as they packed up, and Calliope hummed in confusion.

"Since you have the day of the Festival off, our exam will be the day before." Then it was silent, some grumbling or sighing annoyingly. Calliope didn't mind really; since she usually studied she didn't find anything too bad about this. Though she did admit it was a little annoying, even if she didn't know what the Flower Festival was.

"Romance is wonderful, believe me, I know, but try to not let the Festival distract you, ok? That is all, see you tomorrow~" She giggled, making some roll their eyes. Calliope chuckled as Ms. Shizuka flashed a peace sign and wink as she went out the door. Ms. Shizuka was very eccentric, to say the least.

Jogging after the Hidden Block duo, she caught up to Luke and Ian.

"Hey guys!" Calliope greeted cheerfully.

"Hey Callie." Luke greeted, high-fiving her. Ian gave only the tiniest of smiles, but it was a smile nonetheless. "Did you meet the new girl yet?"

"O-Oh, yeah. I knew her from the day I came here. Accidentally bumped into her." Calliope explained, chuckling.

"She seems pretty cool. Ian said he kinda met her yesterday."

"Mm, but the redhaired friend, Mai I believe, pulled her away." Ian coolly said, rolling his eyes.

"Probably because you speak in comic sans." Luke joked, and Calliope looked at them oddly. How does one speak in a font…?

"So you joining us for lunch?" Ian asked, pulling Calliope out of her thoughts.

"Oh! Uh, if you don't mind. I'll totally understand though if not!" Calliope replied, smiling sheepishly.

"Cal, you can join us any time!" Luke assured, throwing an arm across her shoulders. Calliope blushed, her heart pounding as he did so. Why did she feel this way?

"Thanks Luke." She replied, grinning.

"No prob Callie." Calliope brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, and looked up at them.

"Hey, I got a question."

"Hm?" Ian hummed.

"What exactly is the Flower Festival?" Luke let out a bubbly laugh at that, making her look at him confused.

"The Flower Festival is like the date of all dates here in Higanbana. There's stalls, a bonfire, games." Luke explained.

"Ooo! It sounds fun!" Calliope beamed.

"Usually people bring their dates." Ian explained further, keeping a blank face, "I usually don't go because of that reason. Too many people." He huffed. Luke chuckled, Calliope humming in thought.

"Eh, maybe I'll go either way. It sounds like a lot of fun!"

"It is. I've only been at it once during my Freshman year. Never really had another reason to go otherwise." Luke shrugged, finally pulling his arm off Calliope's shoulders as they reached the cafeteria. Calliope sighed, feeling a weight lifted off her shoulders, literally.

Grabbing their trays and filling up for dinner, they walked over to their usual table where the others were. Jimmy was playing with his ePhone, Nokemon GO sounds resonating from the speakers as he flicked his finger up on the screen. Wallid playing on his 4DS, Jeff watching casually as he ate a burger. The three made their presence known, placing their trays down on the table.

"Where's Caddy?" Calliope asked.

"Detention." Jeff shrugged, and Calliope made an 'o' with her mouth.

"Yeah, he got into an argument with Ian earlier today and flipped a chair over in anger when he got to class." Jimmy chuckled, and Calliope looked over at Ian in confusion, who only shrugged. The trio sat down, and as they did everyone in the cafeteria got silent. The group looked around, and spotted Paul talking to Hana.

"Ooo I wonder what they're talking about." Wallid asked curiously. People watched with wide eyes as Hana walked over to the Normal Boots table with Mai, but chatter soon filled the room again.

"Apparently that." Jimmy replied.

"What is with the Normal Boots club anyways?" Calliope asked.

"They're the most popular group in school. We're their rivals usually for the gaming tournament, but we're friends with them anyways." Jeff explained, rattling off their names. "My friend is PBG over there, next to him is Jontron, or just Jon. They actually founded the club, and PBG plays soccer with me while Jon is the leader of the drama club. The trio over there, along with the guy who asked Hana and Mai to sit with them is Paul, Josh, and Nick. They're attached to the hip basically and run a column in the newspaper called ' _Continue?'_. That guy over there is Shane, and he knows everything about everything. He could never get anything wrong unless he doesn't know it, which is nearly impossible at this point. He's also a pretty awesome artist." Jeff explained,

"Next up is Jirard, aka The Completionist. He completes anything popular, this time it's Itty Bitty Kitty's. Over there is ProJared, or just Jared. He's the most popular boy in school and is also a model. Lastly is Satchbag, but he just goes by Satch. He's really smart and usually makes cool inventions." Jeff finished.

Calliope nodded, feeling an interest of joining a club. She was good at gaming, but she doubted that either of them would let her join their club, even though she was friends with Luke and the others.

So what club?

* * *

 

"You'll be in pairs, painting a diorama, or papier-mache lamp. Anything post-modern. Then write a paper on design. Or don't. That works too. But remember, this project will count for ten percent of your final grade, so work hard! Sound good?"

The class replied with murmurs, obviously annoyed.

"All right! In the last few minutes of class, pick your partners and discuss your project plan. We'll continue next time." Everyone's desks connected in a matter of seconds, Calliope spotting Hana alone. Before she could get up, she heard the ear-piercing sound of metal against wood as PBG zoomed by, nearly running Calliope over.

Her breath caught in her throat and she looked at the damaged he conceived. How could one human being plow down desks and leave a _gaping hole?!_

"Oh, oops. Sorry!" PBG gasped out, and one boy glared at him. 

Calliope frowned, looking down at her desk. She could work alone, it was not really a big deal. Though it did kinda hurt no one picked her as a partner, even out of pity.

"Don't have a partner?" Luke's voice broke from the intermingled voices, and Calliope shrugged.

"It's fine. I can work alone," Calliope assured, looking up at his concerned gaze, "I'll be fine."

The bell rang, and Calliope packed her stuff, everyone else doing the same. Calliope slipped on her headphones and left the classroom before either Luke or Ian could say anything else.

Calliope was almost to Primrose when a hand touched her shoulder, making her wince and look up.

"Hey partner!" Luke cheered over the music on her headphones, if that was even possible. Ian trudged up behind Luke, giving a ghost of a smile.

"What…?" She pulled down her headphones to her neck.

"We got Shizuka to get us as a trio!" Luke explained, grinning.

"Y-You guys didn't have to!" Calliope cried. Ian shrugged.

"It would be unfair."

Something welled up inside Calliope and out of joy she hugged Luke, and he chortled and hugged her back.

"Is it ok if I hug you too Ian?" The taller man blinked but nodded, outstretching his arms. Calliope got out of Luke's hug and hugged Ian. "You're a nice hugger!"

"That's what people tell me." He chuckled. Calliope pulled away, grinning, and placed her hands on her hips.

"I won't let you guys down then! Uh, where are we meeting?"

"Ian's dorm room. Since him and Caddy share a room you can imagine how much Caddy tries to stay out as long as possible." Luke giggled. Calliope smiled, doing a two-fingered salute.

"See you guys later then!" Calliope turned, giddy as she walked off.

Seems like she had friends after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Constructive Criticism is always welcome ^^
> 
> We won't be focusing on the project because it's basically never really mentioned again, only really once in the PBG route. I hope everyone was in character! 
> 
> We're so close to the Festival, I'm so excited to finally start the actual plotline of this story. Also, almost 100 hits? I didn't expect that. Thanks to everyone who's left kudos and comments so far!


	4. Rapping in the night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy!

The moment Calliope and Yuki walked into Poppy Hall, they knew quickly something was off.

"What the hell did Jared do this time." Yuki mumbled, a bored yet annoyed tone lacing her voice.

Indeed, Jared posters littered the hall on the lockers. It had looked like a glowstick had threw up on the posters, the neon lettering bold and eye-catching.

"He's putting on another fashion show isn't he?" She asked to no one in particular, crossing her arms. Calliope looked at the younger girl with interest.

"Fashion show?"

"Every year." She replied, rolling her eyes and stalking off to her class. Calliope blinked in confusion, walking on as she read the posters, hoping none were on her locker. She didn't want to get on Jared's bad side by tearing one down.

She thankfully found it bare, and twisted in her combination. She had decorated it with some music note magnets and a huge poster of a singer sat in the back. She pulled out her books and placed them into her bag, closing her locker right after.

"Good morning Cal!" Luke's voice rang, and she smiled over to him. Ian was already gone, probably walking to the classroom already.

"Hey Luke." She greeted as he grinned down at her.

"You seein this?" He snorted, pointing at the posters. Calliope nodded, giggling.

"Jared seems to be the center of attention today." She joked, throwing her bag's strap on her shoulder.

"Seems so."

They reached class, sitting down.

"Oh! Also, I made you this." Calliope revealed, pulling out the chibi-styled Luke she made yesterday. She passed it over to him, and he smiled.

"Aw this is adorable! Thanks Cal!"

"No problem." Calliope chuckled, blushing.

Shizuka walked in and cleared her throat, and class began.

* * *

 

"I'm home Yuki!" Calliope said cheerfully, opening the door. Yuki glanced up at her and then looked back down at her work.

"I'm going to Higanbana soon. I gotta get more art supplies." Yuki replied, her tone borderline monotone as usual.

"Alright, that's fine. I gotta do some things anyways." Calliope hummed, and Yuki shrugged, grabbing her bag.

"I'll be back later." The girl walked out, and Calliope sighed, frowning.

"If only you'd open up just a bit…" Calliope mumbled, placing her bag down on the desk. She opened it up and rifled through, pulling out a stack of papers. They were all posters, being filled with info and different clubs. "Alright, let's see here.."

Meme Team… Boxing Club… Blue Feather… Sincere Lime...

None really caught her interest, and she huffed. They all sounded like cool clubs, but they didn't really fit her hobbies.

She threw the stack down carelessly on the desk, stomping her foot in frustration.

"I need to take a walk." Calliope announced to no one, grabbing her ePhone and headphones. She walked out, pushing on her headphones. Walking around the grounds, she let her eyes wander around, a swing song accompanying her.

She froze, bumping into a sign. Sucking in air through her teeth, she read it.

' _Azealia Arts Center?'_ She thought curiously, walking up and into the building. It was almost empty, though fliers and of course Jared posters were covering the walls. She pulled down her headphones to her neck, walking around the halls.

"If you take my star-" She froze, hearing a male voice rap from one of the rooms. It was along the lines of Marionette Party and taking stars. A smile graced her lips, remembering that game dearly.

"Should I enter…?" She mumbled, then sighed and opened the door. She closed it carefully and silently behind her, spotting Luke. Her mouth fell, listening to him rap. "Whoa…"

Calliope quickly admired his passion for the song, sitting down at one of the chairs in front of the switches. She bobbed her head, pausing her music as he kept on going.

The beat faded away and so did Luke's rapping, and he turned to see Calliope, smiling contently.

"Oh hey Callie!" He greeted, making her jump in her seat.

"H-Hey!" She greeted back, blushing in embarrassment. Luke placed the headphones on the stand and came out, a grin on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"I was looking for a club to join and I got frustrated. Went for a walk and ended up here." She shrugged, playing nervously with her headphone's wire. She could have sworn to see some light leave Luke's eyes for a brief moment before coming back.

"I see. Hey, I got an interesting question." He smirked, and she rose a brow.

"What would that be?" She asked.

"What if you were to rap." Calliope's eyes widened, and she wove her hands around.

"No no no! I can't rap! I'm not good at rapping!" She cried, standing.

"Don't need to get so defensive. I won't tell anyone. You seem pretty passionate about music, so why not?"

"I uh, I'm not exactly a rapping type." She chuckled nervously.

"You can try." He encouraged, "I'll help you freestyle." Calliope sighed.

"If you say so. I'd hate to break the fantasy though." She joked, walking into the sound booth.

"If you're so insecure, you can always rap what I was earlier. I'm, uh, making an album." He admitted, scratching his cheek.

"Congrats Luke! Can't wait to hear it." She cheered, grinning. She pulled the headphones, the familiar beat booming through the headphones. Taking a deep breath, she rapped along with the lyrics that he had written down. While not the worst handwriting ever, his writing was slanted and a little sloppy.

The beat finished and Luke clapped, coming into the soundbooth and high-fiving her.

"You did great Cal!" He complimented, making her blush.

"Not as good as you." She replied, chuckling as she handed him the headphones.

"Maybe you can swing by again sometime, eh?"

"Maybe. But next time, I'll listen."

"Fair enough. See you tomorrow." He waved, and she waved back.

"See you later. Goodnight Luke." She replied, and left. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it ends abruptly, and that it's a lil shorter than usual. Tonight's a school night.
> 
> The next will def be longer though. 
> 
> Updates will be a lil slow since a new school week starts tomorrow (obviously) but I'll try my best!


	5. Marionette Party

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy <3

A couple of days later, and Calliope and Yuki walked into the school again. Yuki winced, knowing what was to happen.

“Whoa. Yuki you… oh…” Poster’s of Paul covered Jared’s neon posters, though it was due to Paul running his campaign. 

“I’m voting for Jeff.” Yuki bluntly announced, rolling her eyes and walking to her floor, not wanting to get involved.

“Oh boy get ready for this Cal.” Luke whistled, and Calliope jumped. Jared and Paul fought in the middle of a crowd, people watching in shock. 

“I thought I told you to take these posters down!” Jared yelled.

“No way. What’s wrong with you?” Nick yelled back, “These walls are everyone’s space. We don’t have to listen to you!”

“And you should know that this campaign is way more important than your little fashion show.” Josh bluntly exclaimed. Jared gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing every second.

“But mine were here first!”

“Does this happen all the time between them?” Calliope asked, concerned.

“Depends. This year it seems to be happening.” Ian scoffed, pulling out a textbook for class.

“Lay off them!” Paul exclaimed, “This is between you and me Jared. Leave them out of it.”

“Come on Cal, before they start fistfighting.” Luke said.

“ _ Fistfight?!”  _ Calliope cried, but Luke had already pulled her into Shizuka’s classroom. 

* * *

Later that day during lunch it was tenseless, much to the relief of Hidden Block and everyone else. Calliope hummed as she read Barry Motter, already on the second book,  _ The Passageway of Secrets. _

“Hey Callie, we’ve got a question.” Jimmy asked, looking up from his ePhone. Calliope hummed, looking up at them.

“We’re having a gaming competition tomorrow and we were wondering if you’d like to come with us.” Jeff asked, smiling warmly.

“W-Wait, what?” Calliope asked.

“It’d be nice to have some fresh competition.” Wallid agreed. Calliope scratched the back of her neck.

“I dunno guys. I’m not exactly a whiz at gaming.”

“That’s fine! We all lose in one way or another.” Luke chuckled, and Calliope blushed lightly.

“Alright then, what are we playing?”

“Marionette Party of course! That’s where our love of the Hidden Block originates!” 

Marionette Party. That brought back many flashbacks as Calliope’s eyes lit up, a smile raising her lips. So many memories within that game, and she cheered.

“Heck yeah! Where will it take place?” She asked, grinning. 

“At Luke and Jimmy’s dorm. 410, twelve o'clock.” Ian stated, making the blonde nod.

“Got it!” She grinned.

* * *

 

Calliope gulped, knocking on the door gently. She had never been in the boys dorm before and being here felt… scandalous. Nonetheless, Jimmy answered, and he smiled.

“Welcome to our wonderful abode.” He announced, and moved so Calliope could get in. Nokemon, Steven Galaxy, Marionette Brothers, etc posters lined the walls, the room a bit cluttered with things. A huge TV was against the wall, a G64 and Gamesquare by said tv. Marionette Party’s menu played, the happy music behind broken friendships yet wonderful memories playing through the speakers.

There was a bunk bed pushed to the wall, the walls painted a soft blue. There was two desks, one right at the end of the bunkbed and the other on the opposite side of the tv. Bean bag chairs sat in front, Wallid having already taken a red one.

“Hey Cal!” Luke greeted, sitting in a yellow one. Caddy sat on the bottom bunk, only giving a slight wave as he fiddled with some sort of laser gun. Ian sat on a desk chair, making sure to be far away from Caddy as possible. Jimmy took a seat next to Caddy, Jeff sitting in the other desk chair. 

“Hey guys.” She greeted back, sitting down on the floor next to Luke. 

“Alright listen up.” Ian cleared his throat. He grabbed one of the game’s controllers, selecting multiplayer and selecting 15 turns. “We’ll be doing two teams. Everyone will take a turn at the controller when it's time for minigames and such.” He explained. Calliope soaks in the info, listening carefully. Ian pulls out a fedora from Luke’s closet, papers already in it. “Callie, write your name please.” Calliope nodded, grabbing a piece of loose leaf and writing down her name. She tore off the part of the paper and folded it in half. After throwing it in, Ian shook the fedora, the papers ruffling about.

“Alright, the team is…” He pulled out three random names, “Jimmy, Caddy, and Calliope.” Calliope smiled. “Alright, Luke, Wallid, Jeff, don’t let me down.” He stated, though there was a clear teasing tone. Caddy scoffed, rolling his eyes as he put down his laser gun. 

“Too bad we can't be on the same team.” Calliope chuckled to Luke, though a smirk was gracing her face. 

Luke chortled as Caddy and Ian went against each other first. Ian picked Marionette, Caddy picking Looigi in spite. 

There was many Bloo the Ghost’s, Hidden Blocks, and even a couple of minigames to be had. Finally after the five turns were over with Ian winning and Caddy raging in the corner, Calliope and Luke were picked to go next. 

“Are you ready to go at this, Miss. Koizumi?” Luke joked, “Because I won’t hold back.”

“Cool,” Calliope replied, “I won’t either, Mr. Sizemore.”

“If you take any my stars I  _ will _ make sure you pay.” Calliope scoffed at that.

“Well, if I win the five turns, I get to wear your hat for the rest of the day.” She shot back, and he placed his hand on his chest like he was offended.

“Girl, you ain’t takin my hat.” Luke promised, and the fight was on. After Luke rolled the die and got to steal 50 coins from Calliope due to landing on Bloo. Calliope frowned, her eyes hardening. He smirked in triumph, but oh boy Calliope wasn’t having that.

For the next couple of minutes, Calliope started getting in the lead, and they were currently now on the fifth turn. 

“Uh oh~” Calliope teased, using a crystal ball.

“Cal I swear-” 

Calliope made Marionette pull back the pinball launcher, getting in the perfect position. Years of playing with her dad and older brother made this fairly easy as she had remembered patterns. 

“Callie.” She let go of the controller buttons, and the pinball shot off, ricocheting off the wall and into the star slot. Luke growled, mock glaring at Calliope. She only stuck her tongue out in concentration, clicking the button when it landed on the star. 

“Who’s star would you like to steal?” Bloo the Ghost asked, and Calliope smirked as she stole Luke’s star. She hopped to her feet, cheering in triumph as she snatched Luke’s hat right off his head. 

“That’s not fair!” Luke cried, reaching for his hat but Calliope kept dodging.

“How’d you do that?” Wallid asked, a little shocked that she won. Luke was very competitive when it came to Marionette Party after all. 

“I, uh, played a lot when I was younger. Dad and brother.” She confirmed, fixing on Luke’s cap much to his dismay. She grinned up at him, glancing at his hair. “Nice hair.” She laughed. He pouted, sitting back down into the bean bag. 

“That’s impressive.” Jimmy remarked, giggling as Luke glared at him. Wallid and Jimmy went up next, Jeff switching with Wallid after the third turn. Calliope played with the bill of the snapback, Luke running a hand through his hair often as he felt incomplete without his hat. It ended on a tie, but Calliope held onto the hat, smirking as Luke whined.

“I said for the rest of the day sir. That’s what you get for doubting me.” She joked, winking at him. He huffed, crossing his arms.

“Don’t get it scratched. I better not see a thread out of place tomorrow.” He scorned, and she snorted.

“Yes mother.” She beamed, blushing lightly. “You look cuter without it anyways. Maybe you’ll get more ladies with your natural look.” She giggled as he blushed, and she left. 

“She’s got you wrapped around her finger.” Jeff joked, punching Luke in the shoulder lightly. Luke rolled his eyes, watching her leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Admittedly I have zero experience with Mario Party, I've only seen bits and pieces of a livestream once. Sorry if those sections seem rushed  
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome, and I hope no one was OOC!


	6. The Flower Festival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy <3

“The Flower Festival is only a few days away. It’s time again to start folding flowers to sell for the school.” Miss. Shizuka announced, “We do this every year, guys. I don’t want to hear any groans. You’re free to write me an essay on the importance of these funds for the school if you’d rather not participate.”

Calliope chuckled as few rolled their eyes, including Ian. Luke had his hat back, and he was still skimming it for loose threads and skim marks. Though he definitely got a few looks that morning. Calliope sighed, not really good at origami herself since she only really focused on trying hard in school and playing video games. She didn’t really find origami interesting, even if a lot of the art was pretty.

“I’m handing out practice sheets because I know how bad you guys are at origami. I’m only going to teach you once, so pay attention!”

Calliope and the others did as instructed, and Luke sighed as he got a folded mess that only resembled a flower. Ian shrugged, placing his flower on the desk. Calliope huffed, her’s looking only slightly better than Luke’s. 

“These creases are  _ weak _ . Kindergartners could do better than this. Hell, my  _ ex _ could do better than this!” She growled, but her face fell at the mention of her ex. 

“Another bad breakup.” Luke mumbled to Calliope, and she only nodded. Miss. Shizuka’s slammed her hand on a nearby boy’s desk, making the teenager jump in shock. 

“You need to be better. Be better, for everyone’s sakes!” She ordered. Calliope sighed, unfolding her flower and trying again, falling in synch with Luke. 

This was going to be a long class.

* * *

“I got an A- on the test! What about you guys?” Calliope asked about a day or two later, grinning as she showed the results of her exam.

“A.” Ian shrugged. Luke sighed,

“C…” 

“You still passed.” Calliope frowned, patting his head. Luke huffed, but smiled softly at her. Calliope pulled the chair back, and sat down, placing her chin into her palms. “So, is anyone going to the Flower Festival?”

Jimmy groaned, placing his cheek into his palm. “I tried asking out a guy but he turned me down. I thought we had something special Sebastien.” He cried. Calliope blinked, and everything clicked and she nodded, seeing how it was.

“Maybe next time Jim.” She comforted, and he sighed. 

“Eh, not interested.” Ian shrugged, spinning his spoon in his noodles. 

“I have more important things to do.” Wallid huffed.

“Haven’t been asked.” Luke admitted, Jeff agreeing.

“I.. Have something in the mail coming.” Caddy said, looking down at his soup. Calliope rose a brow, but shrugged it off. 

“That’s fine. I might go.” Calliope replied, eating her pizza.

* * *

The Flower Festival came faster than anyone could imagine, and Calliope sighed.

“Do you want to go with me Yuki?” Calliope asked, but Yuki shook her head.

“I have an art project due tomorrow. I ain’t doin’ shit.” She bluntly replied, sketching out something on paper. Calliope frowned, crossing her arms.

“You’re no fun.” She huffed, grabbing some clothes and walking to the bathroom. She pulled on a green t-shirt, blue jeans, and put on her favorite purple converse. After leaving her pajamas at the room, she wandered the courtyard, playing an electro swing song. She sat down on one of the benches, humming in thought. 

“Wait a second…” She hopped up and walked to the Azelia Arts Center. Of course, Luke was rapping his song, and Calliope sat down, pulling her headphones to her neck so he could finish. Once he did, he smiled when he saw her.

“Hey Callie!” He greeted, placing the headphones down. “What’s up?”

“I got a question.”

“Yeah?”

Calliope blushed lightly, and grinned.

“Wanna go to the Flower Festival together? As friends, of course.” She asked, and he blushed.

“Uh, yeah! Sure. I have nothing better to do.” He grinned, and she beamed at him.

“Alright, I’ll see you later tonight then!” Calliope left, and Luke grinned, going back to rapping.

* * *

That night, Calliope opted to wear a purple and yellow sundress with pink flats, as she knew it would be a little warm tonight with the bonfire.

“Hey Cal!” Luke called, and she turned. Luke was of course wearing his black snapback, but he also wore a white shirt with blue long sleeves, jeans, and sneakers. 

“Hey Luke!” She greeted, smiling.

“Lookin’ cool.” He complimented, and she beamed.

“Thanks, you too.” She complimented back, and off they went to the Flower Festival. Calliope gasped, the eccentric drums, people laughing, the pretty lights. “Wow! This place is so lively!”

“It is.” Luke chuckled. Calliope grinned, looking at the various stalls and people.

“What should we start on first?” Calliope asked, her joy matching a child’s. Luke hummed, and then spotted a game.

“Hey! They have a basketball game here!” He pointed out. She blinked, looking over at the basketball game. It was similar to the ones in arcades, the guy in the stall flipping through a newspaper. “Maybe I can win something.” 

“Ooo! That’d be interesting!” She encouraged. He grinned, and went over with her to the stall. After paying the guy some yen, he started tossing the basketball into the hoop, every time it landed in the hoop. “Wow!” Calliope cried, admiring his skills, “I’ve never seen anyone miss a hoop before!”

“I played a lot back in America. Heck, maybe sometime I can show you my frisbee tricks.” He smirked, and then turned, holding the ball in his hands.

“What are you doing?” She asked curiously, and her eyes widened as he tossed the basketball over his shoulder. “Whoa!”

It landed right in. He turned back around and smiled, even the guy impressed.

“Nice job sir.” He complimented, “What would you like?” 

“Hmm… The dolphin!” Luke pointed to the blue stuffed animal. The guy pulled it down and gave it to him, and Luke handed it to Calliope. “Here. For inviting me here.”

“What?” Calliope cried, holding the stuffed animal.

“It’s yours Cal.” He chuckled. Calliope stuttered, blushing as she held the soft plush.

“You didn’t have to give it to me. I didn’t want to come here alone, and you seemed bored...” She frowned. Luke only shook his head, patting her temple.

“Keep it Cal.” He smiled as she sighed, following him around the area. “Whoa!” He cried, stopping at a sight. 

“Wh-What?” She asked, but before she could get an answer Luke quickly pulled her to the side of a stall, peeking out from behind. “...Luke…?” She questioned, a brow raising. He pointed to two people, and Calliope softly gasped.

Over there was PBG and Hana, Hana confused as PBG held her hands. 

“We should get closer…” Luke mumbled, pulling Calliope by her wrist. She blushed darkly as they got closer, hiding once more behind a stall.

“I know you’re her! You’re Hana! You were my best friend when we were little!”

Calliope felt a smile stretch onto her face as she kept on listening. While she did feel bad deep down for eavesdropping, this was still an adorable moment. She looked up at Luke, but his face was serious, his eyebrows leveled as he kept on listening. 

“Why does this festival have to be so darn loud…” He mumbled angrily, and Calliope gave him a weird look.

“Your favorite game was Screw You, Pikachomp, and we would take turns making up insults and making him dance, and we called him Rodrigo.” PBG egged on, frowning as he seemed to try to get Hana to remember. Hana looked down at the ground, frowning herself.

“You’d cry when I’d hit the chickens in Coocoriko Village when we played Zilda.” He sighed, “I know it’s you…”

Hana shook her head, and PBG let his hands drop in defeat. Calliope frowned, furrowing her eyebrows.

“Man don’t give up now!” Luke quietly cried. 

“PBG…”

“No, I want you to call me by my real name.”

“Your… real name?”

PBG clenched his fist and the two friends held their breath.

“My real name is…PeanutButterGamer.” 

Calliope lost it the moment that name came out of his mouth. Yes, this was a serious moment, but  _ my _ god who names their child Peanut?! Luke chortled, seeing Calliope’s reaction to his full real name. 

“Oh my god!” Hana cried, making Calliope stop and they both looked at them again. “Oh my god, PeanutButterGamer! I remember now!” She realized, and Calliope “awwed” as Hana had tears in her eyes. 

“You remember?”

“Oh my god, you’re so different!”

“So are you!” PBG admitted, “You were always the loud, adventurous one when we were little. So when you first showed up in class, I wasn’t sure that it was you. But as you opened up, I began to see more of the Hana I remembered.”

“I’m so sorry…” Hana sighed. Calliope smiled, looking up at a grinning Luke. “I’ve been treating you like a stranger this whole time.”

The crowd got loud again, and for a few moments they couldn’t hear anything. Luke grumbled, pouting as he couldn’t hear them. They could see them laugh and they both smiled, Calliope and Luke’s eyes meeting. 

“We are. We are friends again!” PBG frowned, and Luke narrowed his eyes.

“Yeah…”

“You have to tell me about everything that happened after you left. Everything!” Hana grabbed his arm and jumped up and down. Luke huffed, and stood up normally again. Calliope frowned, looking up at him.

“He needs an extra push…” He mumbled.

“What?” Calliope asked. 

“You want me to walk you to your dorm?” He asked, and Calliope frowned, confused.

“Uh, sure…?” They didn’t even make it to the bonfire.

The walk home was very quiet, and Luke only waved as he left. 

“Did I do something wrong..?” She mumbled, an old memory hitting her like a baseball bat. She shivered, realizing how cold it was. 

It wasn’t as cold as how Luke ended of the night though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally we can start on the route! Ahh I've been waiting for the Flower Festival!  
> I wonder why Luke was being a lil aloof at the end, hm~?
> 
> Sorry I repeated some of the dialogue, but Luke had to know about PBG's dilemma, right?
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome, see you guys soon ;)


	7. Written Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy!

For a day or two, Luke acted aloof, not even greeting Calliope sometimes unless it was in school. She could spot his hat amongst the crowd during one of the soccer games, but she didn’t bother. If he was in his zone, he was in his zone. Even if it hurt her deep down. 

“I’m kinda worried about Luke.” Calliope admitted to Ian a little later after school as she had joined him under a tree in a field. He mindlessly played Dumbidoom’s Revenge, a popular ePhone app. Ian sighed and paused the game, looking over at Calliope,  _ The Inmate of Askabane  _ sitting open in her lap. 

“Really? He’s been fine around us.” Ian shrugged, placing the ePhone askew on his leg. 

“He hasn’t really been talking after school. Sure, he greets me sometimes in class, but every time I go to the Arts Center he’s never there, and if I go to his dorm Jimmy says he’s not around.” Calliope groaned, letting her head flop back into the trunk of the tree.

“Maybe he’s writing a new song. He said his friend Garrett from the states is collabing with him on some song for Stomp Sisters.” Ian offered, but Calliope only sighed in despair. 

“I want him to be happy. If he was, he’d let me come to sessions or at least tell me when he’s there. This is all giving me bad vibes.” She huffed.

“Why don’t you go look for him then?” Ian asked.

“I…” She sighed, “I dunno. He always escapes my line of sight right after school.” 

“Go try then. He can sometimes be stubborn.” Ian lightly chuckled, and went back to playing his game. Calliope sighed once more, but got up, shoving her book into her bag. 

“Thanks for the pep Ian.” She thanked, and he waved his hand.

“No prob.” He only replied, getting immersed into his game. She giggled and left the field, looking for the tall boy.

“If I was a ‘Rap God’, where would I be…” She mumbled, her eyes glancing around as she tried to spot her friend. “Azealia first it is…”

* * *

“Not… there… either…” Calliope panted, her hands falling to her knees. She had checked every nook and cranny for Luke, scouring the whole academy, including the dorms. “I’m never gonna find him.” She whined, leaning on a closet door. She suddenly felt the force of gravity plunge her to the floor as the door opened. She let out a cry, two arms grabbing her and pulling her into the closet, closing the door. “What the he-”

“Cal calm down! It’s me, Luke!” Luke reassured, a sheepish grin on his face. Calliope growled, crossing her arms. She blushed, realizing he was still holding her. He chuckled nervously, letting her go as Calliope sighed through her nose.

“Why’ve you been so aloof? I was getting worried…” She admitted, furrowing her eyebrows. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Sorry Callie. I, uh, have been trying to push Hana and PBG together.” Calliope’s mouth went agape at the confession, her eyes widening.

“ _ W-What?! _ ” She cried, and Luke walked up to the wall, flipping a switch. The wall pulled back to reveal a dark passageway, and Calliope cried out in disbelief.

“Follow me scream queen.” He snorted, walking into the darkness. Calliope followed, clutching Luke’s arm as he guided her through the tunnel. He pulled down a lever, stairs forming from the concrete walls. “These tunnels were built during WWII just in case. They’re really old, so when Nurse McCreeps found them it was impressive that they still worked.” Luke explained as he helped Calliope up the stairs. 

“These are amazing!” She squealed, Luke pulling down another secret lever to close the door. 

“Alright, so to explain, I uh, may or may not have been writing secret ‘love’ letters to Hana.” He grinned sheepishly, and Calliope looked up at him in shock.

“Aw! You’ve been doing that to get them together?” She smiled. He nodded,

“But I need some help. I may be good at rapping but poetry is not my forte.” He admitted, looking down at the ground. 

“I’m not the best at it either..”

“Can you help me?” Calliope looked up at him and smirked.

“Of course! They’re so cute!” She beamed.

* * *

“Alright, this is what I have so far.” Luke showed Calliope the parchment. The paper felt smooth, almost like silk, and it was clear Luke was trying to put as much effort as he could into making these.

“ _ Red Flower… A flower, it needs some sunlight indeed… Before it grows up, it starts as a seed. _ ” Calliope read the first lines and only lines, feeling jealousy wriggle a bit in her chest. These letters were so sweet it seemed, and Calliope wished someone would do this for her.

But of course, she wasn’t a sufferer of MOPS, she didn’t even have anything near pink hair. It’d be a while before any boys would really notice her.

“This is so cute so far!” She grinned, sitting down on a bean bag. He beamed, sitting next to her.

“Thanks… Though what should come next…” He groaned. Calliope hummed in thought, thinking of Hana’s personality, the context of the letter, everything.

“Uh…  _ It’s potential is great… but first there is fear? _ ” Calliope questioned, and he glanced at her.

“It sounds great!” He cheered, grabbing the pen and a clipboard, writing down the line. “Alright…  _ A shadow a shadow that’s wandering near. _ ” He wrote down seeing Calliope nod at it. Calliope smirked, grabbing his hat again. “Hey!”

“Ahem.” She cleared her throat, and turned the hat upside down, holding it still in her palm. She placed her hand over her heart, looking as dramatic as can be. “ _ ‘Will it blossom?’, I wonder. My heart is so pure.” _ She dramatically said, and he giggled, catching on. 

“ _ This relationship flower, is a metaphor.”  _ He joined in, grabbing a Oui controller and holding it like Calliope was to his hat. 

“ _ ‘Cause if it shall grow, from finding the rain.” _

“ _ Her red petals emerge, sweeping over my heart’s terrain.” _ He grinned, hugging Calliope after placing the controller back down. Calliope hugged back, reaching on her tippy toes to place the hat backwards on his head. “Thanks Cal! This is gonna be sick!” He thanked, jotting down everything. Calliope blushed, brushing back a lock of hair behind her ear.

“You’re welcome. So, what else do you do when writing it?” She questioned.

“I deliver it in an envelope.” He answered, placing the letter in a white envelope. He sealed it and grabbed some scotch tape, shoving it in his pocket. “Come on, before Mai or Hana go back to their dorms.” Calliope followed, giddy to help out this relationship blossom. Luke pulled out the tape once they reached the room, placing the envelope neatly on the door.

“Ugh…” Calliope and Luke froze as they heard Mai, and before she could comprehend what she was doing she grabbed Luke by the wrist. She sprinted down the corridor, unlocking and throwing her door open. She pulled him into the room, and closed the door just as Mai came into sight. 

Calliope thanked her lucky stars that Yuki was once again not in the room.

It started as chuckles, but then laughs bubbled out of their throats, holding onto each other.

“This is the most fun I’ve had in years! I can’t wait for us to make the next letter!” Calliope laughed, leaning against Luke.

“Same dude! Thanks for helping me.” Luke scratched his temple, smiling softly. Calliope smiled and blushed, pulling out her phone.

“You know, I don’t think we exchanged phone numbers yet.” Calliope offered, giving him her phone. Grinning, he gave her his phone, and they exchanged numbers. “Now if you ever need me in letter making you can just text me.” 

“Thanks again Cal for helping me. I’m not exactly good at romantic letters.” He nervously admitted, and Calliope waved it off.

“It’s fine Luke. I’m not good at it either, but hey, we can figure it out together.” Calliope grinned, placing her hands on her hips. She placed her ePhone on her desk, and then glanced back over to him. “And, please, talk to me next time something like this is going on.”

“Of course, m’lady.”

Calliope giggled as he left, picking up the dolphin he got her, happy that he turned out ok.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was a fun one to write. Constructive Criticism always welcome. The next part will possibly leak into the part where the others go to the hot springs, but we'll see. We'll learn more of Calliope's private life too ;)


	8. Little Snippets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note, there's a lot of skipping. This chapter's a lil long because of that, but sections are short. Enjoy <3

Calliope mindlessly doodled in the margins of her notebook, making her notes look interesting. Midterms were coming up and that meant more pressure. Shizuka sounded angry, but Calliope barely payed attention.

It had been a couple of days since they wrote their first letter together. Calliope smiled, glancing over at Luke, who was writing down notes. 

Calliope stopped in her tracks, a snoring echoing in the classroom. Who would be sleeping in the middle of class?

Everyone was looking around, trying to locate the sound.

“PBG?” Hana called. Luke and Calliope locked eyes for a second before looking over at the tall boy, who was currently fast asleep. Shane began to poke PBG’s side, and the asleep brunette mumbled something about turnips. 

Miss. Shizuka stalked over to his desk and slammed a ruler on it, making him jolt. 

“Ah!” He shrieked, his eyes flying up to Shizuka’s angry face.

“Mr. ButterGamer, I do believe you could use some help staying awake.” She growled, her eyes narrowed and her face flushed an angry red.

“Uh, no, sorry. I was just, uh… studying too late so-” 

“Quiet!” Shizuka cried, slamming the ruler down again. Calliope gulped, feeling her hand shake. No, no, no memories… No memories... 

Shizuka leaned close, and Calliope felt a shiver go down her spine.

“I hate men who lie.” Calliope expelled a shaky breath, Luke looking over at her concerned. Shizuka stood up straight, walking to the back of the class. “Perhaps standing will keep you awake?” She asked. 

“Yes ma’am…” PBG uttered, standing at the back of the class. Calliope went back to doodling, ignoring the world, her heart pounding. Luke frowned in her direction, seeing her left hand shake as she drew with her right. He wanted to pass a note to her so bad, but the last thing they both needed was to be hated by the class. 

* * *

The moment the bell rang Calliope leapt up out of her seat, shoving everything into her backpack.. Tossing it over her shoulder, she quick stepped out of the classroom.

“C-Callie, wait up!” Luke cried, running after her. Calliope froze, her hand gripping the book bag strap. “Bro, you ok?” He asked, gently placing his hand on her shoulder. She sighed, looking up at him with a smile.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired. Don’t worry, I have self control.” She shrugged. Luke frowned, giving her a face that he didn’t really believe her. “Really Rap God, I’m fine.”

“Rap God?” He interjected, and she laughed.

“Ya know, the one song by Emineme.” She punched him in the arm. He scoffed, tossing his arm around her shoulder casually. The tense moment was forgotten, and Calliope chuckled, leaning into his side. “So, when are we going to write another letter?” She asked quietly, and Luke hummed. 

“I still need to figure out a subject at least.”

“Want me to help you brainstorm tonight?” She asked, upturning her eyes at him. 

“If I can’t figure anything out.” He shrugged. 

“Alright. My phone is always on.” She assured, and he nodded.

* * *

“Look at that.” Luke muttered to her later the next day. Calliope looked over to see PBG shoving books into his locker, looking upset. The duo frowned, Hana walking up to him.

“Maybe she’ll…” PBG rushed off the moment Hana was noticed, and Calliope huffed.

“I wonder what’s wrong.” She wondered. “Hey where’s Ian?”

“He’s probably already in class. As usual.”

“True. Has he been practicing Dumbidoom?”

“You know it.” 

* * *

“Come on Callie!” Luke said in a hurried rush. Calliope groaned, tossing out her wrapper. A strangled cry bubbled out of her throat as he grabbed her wrist gently. Calliope felt a blush crawl up from her neck as they ran across the campus from the recording room.

“This is why we shouldn’t sing up till the last minute!” Calliope lectured. He rolled his eyes playfully, pulling her along.

“Hana, you’d better hurry up! Class starts in a minute!” Luke called after the pinkette as they rushed past. Calliope looked back at the pinkette, the girl’s eyes widening. 

“Wh-What?! Thank you!” Hana called. She ran after the duo, sitting down in their desks just as the bell rang. Calliope frowned as Hana looked worried, glancing around the room for PBG.

He never turned up.

* * *

“Good job, class. I’m leaving now. Except for you, Marcus.” She placed a paper on his desk. “I’ll see you in my office.” She grinned. Luke chuckled, standing as Ian went on ahead, probably to get spaghetti again before anyone else got some.

“Looks like she’s a cougar.” He joked, and Calliope gasped at him.

“ _ Luke! _ ” She cried. He laughed, patting her hand.

“Just a joke, calm down. I’m sure he got accepted into that college or whatever.” He snorted. She huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she got packed. Expelling the air, they walked off to lunch.

“Did Caddy get detention again?” Calliope asked, and Wallid nodded. 

“He broke a table.” Jimmy waved off. 

“He… broke a table.” Calliope asked slowly, a confused yet slightly concerned expression on her face.

“It’s normal don’t worry.” Ian rolled his eyes. 

“Right… So how’s the presidential campaign coming along Jeff?” Calliope asked. Jeff shot a nervous grin, but shrugged.

“It’s going fine. It’s been pretty stressful, but nothing really has happened.” He reassured, scratching his cheek. 

“That’s good. I’ll vote for you.” Calliope smiled, and Jeff shot her a grateful smile. 

“Calliope.” Yuki’s voice suddenly appeared, and Calliope let out a tiny shriek. She turned in her seat, the younger girl looking at her with emotionless eyes. Calliope’s eyes wandered down to a huge package in her hands. 

“Isn’t that heavy?” Calliope asked. Yuki shrugged, placing it on the table.

“What is it Calliope?” Wallid asked, looking up from his 4DS, as he was battling against Jimmy in Nokemon A/B. 

“Hmm…” Calliope dug into the tape with her nails, and Yuki handed her a butter knife. “Thanks.” She cut open the tape and unflapped the flaps. She stopped in her tracks, laying her eyes on what was inside.

“Cal?” Luke asked, peering in. Calliope suddenly cheered, making people nearby look at her funny. She pulled out a white and brown acoustic guitar, stickers decorating the outer rims. 

“My baby! Ah Cherry I missed you!” She said, hugging the guitar by it’s neck. 

“Cherry?” Ian asked. Yuki let out a small and short chuckle as Calliope grinned.

“Sorry, childhood name. Cherry’s been with me since the beginning of my guitar career. Kinda a habit to call her that now.” Calliope shrugged. 

“I’ll take it back. Enjoy your lunch.” Yuki said.

“Don’t you wanna join us?” Calliope asked, frowning. Yuki shook her head, grabbing the huge box and guitar with ease. Calliope sighed, “Alright. I’ll get Cherry later after school’s over.” Yuki nodded once more, turning and leaving. 

“Still haven’t cracked her code yet?” Jimmy asked, battling in his turn, Wallid glaring at him right after.

“No, sadly. She’s really distant. She keeps on leaving to Higanbana for art supplies and such.” Calliope sighed. 

“I’m sure she’ll crack under the pressure soon enough.” Jeff sighed. Calliope glanced down at the table, frowning.

“I hope. It must suck not to have any friends.”

* * *

“What’s going on?” Luke asked Hana, Ian and Calliope standing next to him. Hana glanced away, sighing.

“This is the second day PBG just hasn’t come to class.”

Luke and Calliope glanced at PBG’s desk, Calliope sighing.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Hana went quiet, glancing up at the trio.

“Don’t be sad.”

“No?” Ian rolled his eyes.

“If he’s not hurting himself, there’s no problem. He can make his own decisions. You’ve got yourself to worry about. This tournament isn’t gonna win itself.” He grinned, and Hana frowned. Calliope looked up at Ian in surprise; he was going to go up against her wasn’t he? “That’s what I thought.”

“You can’t make this easy for us, Hana. We really will beat you if you don’t work hard at it.”

“Er… You’re right.” Ian shook his head and stalked off. Calliope frowned down at the smaller girl, patting her head and then following Luke and Ian out.

* * *

It was the day of the big game, and Calliope had decided to go with Luke and the other members of Hidden Block who could. Luke had taken off his jacket long ago, Calliope doodling in a notebook.

The score was tied, but the rival team was neck and neck with Asagao.

“Go PBG! Go Jeff! Go Asagao!” Calliope would cheer occasionally, Luke joining in. Wallid was scrolling through his phone, looking up occasionally while Jimmy was walking around a few feet away. 

“The ‘Fate’s are really going at it this year.” Luke shook his head. Calliope frowned, seeing how tired PBG looked. 

“I have a bad feeling…” 

That feeling was justified, as just a minute later PBG screamed, and the duo froze. PBG was in pain, holding his leg on the ground. Calliope gasped, grabbing onto Luke’s arm. 

“Oh no! Peebs!” Calliope cried, frowning. “They were doing so well… Oh gosh I hope he’s ok.” She said, scared for his fate.

“I hope he is too. That looked real nasty.” Luke bit his bottom lip. Calliope sighed, furrowing her eyebrows as PBG was wheeled off into the nurse’s office, Hana following right after. 

Hopefully he’d be ok...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright next time we'll be taking place during the hotsprings back at Asagao. This was mostly a filler chapter to apologize for you guys to wait so long. The next won't be so filler ;)
> 
> I wonder why Calliope was so shaken by Shizuka's outburst. Hmmm~
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome! See you guys next time!
> 
> Also a friend of mine made fanart, check it out here- https://twitter.com/brennnart/status/780959684689743878
> 
> I'm still emotional ;w;


	9. Dark Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy
> 
> This has mention of child abuse, please advise guys. I really don't want you guys to get hurt. Trust me this is only one of two -three chapters that really goes into depth of this topic.

Calliope frowned, looking over at PBG and Hana. PBG looked distant while Hana looked concerned and even a little upset. 

“You ok Callie?” Ian asked, and she looked back over.

“I feel bad for PBG. Soccer is his passion; and now it has been taken away.” She sighed. 

“I’m sure next year he’ll be ready to go at it again. Have faith in him.” Luke assured. 

“I hope so.” Calliope bit her lip, writing down some more things for their presentation. Ian stared over, a frown on his lips as they continued on with class.

* * *

Luke and Calliope were casually walking to the Arts Center, Calliope writing down some notes.

“Maybe it’ll go…  _ Wisdom, brought out by the vision. _ ” Calliope hummed, trying to help Luke write his new rap for the eventual album.

“Ooo! That sounds good!” He grinned, looking over her shoulder at what they wrote down so far. Calliope nodded, blushing at how close he got to her face. 

“Hey, do you hear that?” Calliope asked, stopping. Luke perked up, standing straight.

“What’s that dust cloud?” Luke mumbled. They both squinted, trying to get a better look. 

“Is that… a person…?”

“!” It was heading  _ towards _ them no less. 

“Calliope! Look out!” It was a blur as Calliope was pulled out of the way, held close by Luke. Jared, wearing a determined and slightly crazy face, ran past. Calliope blushed darkly, looking up at Luke.

“Th-Thanks.” She thanked, her heart pounding. “I could have been ran over!” Luke nodded, looking at Jared. He slammed into Jon and Mai’s backs, Hana jumping back.

“DID SOMEONE SAY FANSERVICE?”

* * *

“This is good! If they’re at a hot springs, we have more time to cover a new letter!” Calliope cheered as she slammed some supplies down on the table.

“Yeah but how long is a good question.” Luke questioned.

“The whole day I believe. Hopefully no less. This is perfect.” Calliope grinned, taking out the notebook and pencil she always carried, along with fancy silk paper and ink. “Heard you ran out.”

“Ah! Thanks Cal.” Luke beamed, placing the paper onto his desk. Calliope nodded, sitting and humming. 

“Now… What should this letter be?”

“Hmmm… Her eyes are sea foam like right?” Calliope asked. Luke shrugged.

“I suppose. You got something?”

“This can focus on her eyes.” She offered, and Luke smirked.

“This one will probably be the most romantic one yet.” He snorted. 

“Alright. Hm. Oh Love, oh love?” She asked. He wrote it down onto the silk paper, nodding. Calliope cleared her throat.

“Oh love, oh love, she’s lovely and sweet.” Calliope began.

This went on for a while, Luke pitching in some ideas for rhymes. Eventually, they got everything down.

“For love has the loveliest eyes I have seen.” Luke finished, writing the last sentence down. 

“Yes! We did it!” Calliope hugged Luke from behind, leaning her head on his. Luke blushed lightly, grabbing an envelope. 

_ ‘Make me Fade.’  _ Calliope’s phone rang, and the blonde groaned. Letting go of Luke, she rummaged through her bag. Grasping the mobile device, she pulled it up to her face to see the number.

Luke jumped, hearing Calliope nearly drop her phone. Calliope muttered a curse, standing.

“I’ll be right back.” Calliope promised, walking out, noticeably pale. Luke frowned, Calliope closing the door behind her as she went into the hallway. 

It was 5 minutes later, but Calliope came back in, even paler than before. Any paler and she could probably faint. She also looked miserable, and it was noticeable that she had dragged her fingers through her hair a couple of times. 

“Yo Cal you ok?” Luke asked worriedly, looking at her. Calliope perked up, though she was still pale.

“Man, Luke, I’m totally fine. Don’t worry.” She started collecting her stuff, grabbing her notebook and pencil.

“Where are you going…?”

“Back to my dorm. Uh, Yuki needs some help.” 

Calliope was lying again. Luke could tell; she could see her hands trembling even if she tried to hide it. Calliope barely waved goodbye as she slammed the door, and he swore a tear fell from her eyes.

“C-Calliope!” Luke opened the door, but Calliope was already gone. Luke frowned, not even a trace of her left.

* * *

“Have you seen Calliope yet?” Luke asked Ian the next day. Ian shrugged, playing Dumbidoom before Shizuka came in.

“Not at all. Why, is something wrong?” He asked, glancing up at Luke. 

“I think so. She got really upset over a phone call yesterday.”

Suddenly the door opened, and Luke felt his chest tighten at the look of Calliope. 

She wore her hair in a top bun, neat and tight like a ballerina. She wore the full uniform, blue jacket and all. She wore her bag like a business woman, and her eyes were narrowed. But beside it all she looked completely miserable and on edge, despite her no nonsense look. She walked, heels clicking on the floor. She sat down, pulling out her notebook, ready to write.

“Hey Calliope, you ok?” Luke asked, and Calliope glanced his way.

“I’ve always been made for this. No need to get concerned Mr. Sizemore.” Calliope waved it off, and Ian frowned.

“Hey, who are you and why are you in Calliope’s body.” He quipped, his eyes narrowed. Calliope scoffed.

“I have to be like this, don’t you get it?”

“Calliope seriously this is not a good joke.” Luke frowned. The bell rang, and Calliope let her eyes trail to the blackboard, and their breath caught in their throats as Calliope’s hand trembled against her cheek. 

What was going on with Calliope?

\--

“What the _ fuck _ did you guys do to Calliope?” Yuki asked, walking over to the Hidden Block table.

“What?” Jimmy asked, his head snapping up to Yuki. Caddy clenched his teeth together, looking at Yuki.

“We didn’t do shit.”

“Then why is she so uptight?! This morning she wasn’t even in her bed; she was all ready to go! Makeup on and everything! She never wakes up that early, nor does she even glance at blush!” Yuki scowled, slamming her hands on the table.

“You don’t have any idea either?” Luke frowned, glancing at the table.

“She hasn’t even entered the cafeteria.” Wallid furrowed his eyebrows together.

“I’m going to go talk to her.” Luke sighed, getting up. 

“Are you sure?” Jeff asked. Luke nodded, leaving the cafeteria. Yuki sighed, crossing her arms.

“So you care.” Jimmy asked, and Yuki glared at the boy.

“She’s my roommate. It’s hard not to.”

Luke wandered up to Calliope’s door, and he froze. There was shouting coming from her room. His heart pounded as he slowly approached the door. 

“You better be getting straight A’s, Calliope! If you are to take over this business, instead of your slack of a brother, you’ll have to be a good student.” An older woman’s voice shouted.

“...Yes mother…” Calliope muttered.

“Good. I have to leave now, but I’ll call you in another month or so.” The audio of Kype shutting down rang from the room, and something fell inside the room. Luke burst in, and Calliope looked over, tears in her eyes. 

“C-Callie?!” Luke started. Calliope trembled, obviously trying to keep her composure. 

“Everything must be perfect…” She mumbled, tears falling as she started to casually clean the room, even though it was barely messy in the first place. 

“Callie…”

“Everything must be kept in place, ya know? Can’t disappoint the ones you love. After all if you do they’ll never love you again and…” Calliope smiled through the tears, her eyes losing all of their cheerful spark. Luke’s heart dropped and he walked up to her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

“Callie please…” She turned.

“Everything must be in order!” Calliope shouted, her head falling into her palms. She trembled, falling to the floor on her knees. Luke fell to his knees and hugged her close. She sobbed, gripping his shirt. 

“No, Calliope… You’re fine…” He muttered, trying to soothe her.

“Luke… My mom expects highly of me… But how can I do that if… If…” Calliope gently touched her cheek, and he quickly understood.

“She’s not going to touch you, ok?”

“I… I’m so sorry!” She cried, burying her face into his shirt. 

“Shhh…” He silently undid her bun, and her hair fell from it’s place. Calliope trembled even more, gripping his shirt tighter.

“I’m here. I’m here.”

The panic attack soon faded, and Calliope took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry for being so uptight today I…”

“I understand. Please stop apologizing. Now let’s get you to the old Cal, ok?” The blonde nodded, wiping her eyes.

It was the first time anyone outside of her family knew.

And she was thankful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember this scene for later, 'kay?
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome. Next chapter will be a little longer, promise.
> 
> See you guys next time


	10. Yelled Makeups

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

It was like a sea of calm washed over them, and Calliope had gotten a 90 on their first real test of the term. Old habits died hard, she supposed.

“Hey did you hear that Animal Intersection’s new game is coming out tonight?” Luke asked. Ever since Calliope’s confession he’s been a bit more protective. Not clingy, but more there for her.

“Oh! No, I haven’t! I’ll probably go in the morning.”

“Aw, why can’t we go tonight.”

“Bleh, I’m tired you big oaf.” 

“I-I…” Luke got nervous, did he…?

“Luke I’m fine, please. Don’t think you’re overstepping any boundaries, ok? I’m not even in her custody anymore.” Calliope assured. 

“Alright.” He sighed. She smiled, patting his arm. 

“You delivering the new letter tonight?” Calliope muttered. To get Calliope’s mind off of things, they had gone and written a new letter, this time off of their favorite movie. 

“Yeah. It’s ready.” Luke assured. 

“Good. I can’t wait until they finally realize each other’s feelings.” Calliope grinned. 

* * *

Calliope watched confused as Ian subtly taunted Hana, and then Ian and Luke high-fived.

“What was that about?”

“Ah it’s just part of our master plan don’t worry.”

Calliope hummed, narrowing her eyes.

“I don’t know if I should trust you too.”

“Callie have some faith!”

Calliope huffed, shaking her head and turning to Shizuka as she stepped in.

* * *

“Hey Cal?”

“Yeah?” 

“Can I write the next two letters by myself?”

Calliope froze, looking over at Luke.

“Luke, I swear-”

“It’s nothing like that! You’ve been working so hard. You should take a break.”

“Luke… I love writing with you though.” Calliope frowned. 

“I know… But I want to try at least writing one. If I screw up, I’ll let you scold me.” Calliope sighed, her eyes narrowing.

“Fine. But I have my eye one you.”

* * *

The next day, Calliope was taking a short walk around the school, waiting for the first bell.

“Uh, Calliope, can I ask you something?” Calliope hummed, looking over at Hana.

“Oh, hey Hana. What’s up?” Calliope frowned, seeing how shaken Hana looked.

“You’re the only one I can trust other than Mai about this.” Calliope blinked, looking down at the small girl. She trusted her with something? They barely talked, but then again even without the interaction Calliope considered her as her friend.

“Oh, sure. Yeah, what’s up?”

“Did you… See anyone last night?” Hana asked, rubbing the back of her neck.

“Uh, no.” Luke.

“I wish… Uh…” Hana slowly gave her the letter. Calliope’s heart clenched at the sight of the letter, reading it twice, three times. 

“Who would do this?” Calliope frowned, gripping the paper tighter, almost ripping it.

“I dunno. Maybe tonight or tomorrow, can you keep an eye out?”

“Oh don’t worry, I will.” Calliope shoved the letter back into Hana’s arms, much to the pinkette’s confusion.

“ _ Luke _ .” Calliope growled, walking up to him. Ian looked over his shoulder, as they were talking.

“Cal, what’s wrong?” Luke asked. Calliope shoved him into the lockers with a hidden strength, even making Ian’s mouth drop.

“I’ll tell you what’s  _ fucking _ wrong. Was this your plan all along?! To hurt Hana?!” Luke looked confused before his face changed to shock. 

“Callie, I-”

“No, no. You may not realize it but you scared her last night! Why would you write a letter like that?” Calliope cried. The halls were mostly empty, so thankfully, no one was hearing this conversation other than Ian. 

“Cal please calm down. It’s just-”

“No, I trusted you Luke! You get that you’re bullying Hana into submission, right? I thought this was to get PBG and Hana together, not tear them apart!” Calliope turned and stormed off, and Ian grabbed Luke’s arm before he could run after her. 

“Leave her alone for now.”

“But Ian-”

“I know you’ll make it up to her. But for now she needs to cool off or else she’ll be violent and cold even more.” Luke let out a shaky breath, watching her retreating form. 

* * *

“Calliope.” Yuki announced, and Calliope looked over. Someone had just knocked, and Yuki went to see who it was. “It’s Luke.”

It was the next day, and Calliope only showed her face at class. She had even sat in the back, not looking at anyone except Shizuka and the blackboard.

“I…” Calliope looked back to her desk, her mindless scribblings dragging away. 

“Please, I need to talk to Calliope.” Luke sighed, and Calliope could hear the glare in Yuki’s voice.

“Go away Luke. You obviously brought some painful memories back.”

“I didn’t mean to, ok? I need… I need to tell her why I wrote that.” Calliope looked over, and for a moment, their eyes met.

“I said-” Calliope stood, her chair scuffing along the wood. 

“You have two minutes.”

“You sure?” Yuki frowned.

“I’m sure.” Calliope went out, standing in front of Luke. Yuki closed the door, and Luke sighed, rubbing his neck.

“Calliope, I’m really really sorry. I should have told you.”

“Told me?” 

“Me and the guys decided to go for a more hostile approach, even before you started writing the letters with me. I… It escaped my mind when we started writing the letters, and…” Luke sighed, “I’m sorry.”

“Luke..” Calliope mumbled. Luke looked up at her, and she had a frown.

“You could have told me… You’re half forgiven. I… I still need some time.”

“I understand but..” Her eyes flickered to meet his once more. “I want.. To take you out to town. Just the two of us today. No writing letters, no lies or secrets.” He promised. Calliope blushed, fiddling with her hands.

“Today? But Luke I don’t want you to feel sorry or feel burdened.” 

“I feel sorry, but not burdened. There’s a difference. I’m going to make it up to you, even if I have to embarrass myself in front of the whole school or something to do it.” 

“You… You would do that for me? Because of some miscommunication?”

“Of course! You’re one of my best friends!” Calliope smiled, holding back tears.

“Thanks Luke… But wait, right now?!”

“Yeah! Come on!” He grabbed her wrist, and she shrieked, being pulled along. Yuki watched them, watching coldly, but with trust. 

“Bastard better treat her right…”

* * *

“So where’d you like to eat for dinner?” Luke asked, the duo walking around the mall.

“I uh, don’t mind, to be completely honest.” Calliope chuckled nervously. 

“We could go to a restaurant.” He shrugged. 

“Alright! I don’t mind either way.” Calliope grinned. Luke pulled her into a casual restaurant, grabbing two empty seats. After being given menus, Calliope and Luke flipped through. 

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks.

Did… Was this a date…?

She blushed darkly, looking up at the smiling hatted man. No, it couldn’t be.

_ ‘I’m not going to think of such things. First off he’s not interested and second off I don’t think he really would want this to be a date…’ _

“Diet Coke please.”

“Oh! Er, Root Beer.” Calliope grinned shyly as the waitress walked off.

“Calliope, is this too much? We can-”

“No, no. Don’t worry, ok?” Calliope waved. 

“Oh, also.” Luke slid over two things. 

“Oh god Luke…”

“Please take them.”

It was Animal Intersection and a couple of purple hyacinths. 

“Luke…”

“No, you deserve them. I was such a jerk.”

“You’re not going to take them back are you.”

“Nope.”

Once they finished dinner and payed (Luke payed more like, much to Calliope’s dismay), they migrated to the arcade. 

“The gaming tournament is tomorrow isn’t it.” Calliope asked. Luke nodded, and the blonde groaned.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t plan on winning anyways.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, part of my plan is to fail for PBG’s sake. Trust me, I’ll tell you it tonight once I deliver the last letter.”

“Alright. I trust you.” Calliope nodded. Luke walked up to the pinball machines, tossing a quarter into the slot. It came to life, music and sound effects playing.

“But, I’ll play for real here.” He smirked, pulling back the lever. Calliope watched in awe as he kept on scoring, getting high numbers about two minutes into the game. 

“Whoa! How’d you do that?!” Calliope asked, shocked.

“Hate to break our promise here sweetheart, but a magician never reveals his secrets.”

“But you’re not a magician.”

“Hey, let me dream a little.” 

* * *

“You and your friend made a movie.. Called Butkis?” Calliope asked as they walked to the train station, trying not to laugh.

“Yeah. We made plenty of other home movies before I left.” Luke said, and switched his voice. “Hello! I’m Mista Rogers, uncle to Butkis himself.” Calliope doubled over laughing at his voice.

“Oh my gosh! That is the best voice I’ve ever heard!” She cried. Standing, she smirked and switched her voice to have a similar tone to his Mr. Rogers voice. 

“Ah! Hello there. I’m Ms. Rodney, nice to meet ya Mista Rogers.” She faux greeted, bowing.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Ms. Rodney.” They both laughed. They got on the train, stepping into an empty cart. It was almost curfew, so it was basically night out. 

“Luke, thanks. No one has done this for me before…” She mumbled shyly.

“No prob Calliope.” He smiled, then frowned. “Look, what happened…”

“Luke, like I said I understand. I’m sorry for overreacting. I should have stayed and listened.” 

“You were upset and already hurt by your mom. I get it.” Calliope nodded. Once they reached Asagao, Luke walked her back to her dorm room.

“See you in about ten or so minutes. I’m going to go deliver the last letter.” 

“Alright, be careful. Mimi could be stalkin around.” Calliope entered the door, Luke chuckling. Calliope closed said door, and Yuki looked at her from her bunk.

“He treat you well?”

“Yes Yuki. Everything’s fine now.” Calliope smiled, blushing as she smelled the hyacinths. Yuki cracked a ghost of a smile and went to sleep. 

Half an hour later, and a short but rapid knock came from the door. Calliope walked over, opening it.

“Well, all we need to do now is wait for the tournament.” Luke explained everything, from PBG getting salty to Hana’s shock.

“Good going Luke. Get some sleep, ok? You’ve got a tournament to lose.” Calliope teased. He chuckled, ruffling her hair.

“Goodnight sweetheart.” He turned and left. Yawning, Calliope crawled into bed, closing her eyes.

Why did she have an odd feeling about tomorrow?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The tournament is the next chapter~ But there will be some chapters after it! I want to keep on expanding everyone's relationships after. It won't be too long though. 
> 
> Sorry for two angsty chapters in a row btw. Also Hana trusted Calliope with the information because Hana knows Calliope isn't the kind of person to gossip. Even if they haven't been friends for very long it's obvious. 
> 
> Also Calliope forgives Luke easily, if it wasn't obvious, because they're friends. She trusts Luke enough not to lie when he's apologizing. She's just like that.
> 
> I actually planned for this to be fully fluffy but then I realized that the scene was up next so can't really do much there.
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome. Can't wait to publish the tournament. I might even post it later tonight if I'm in a good mood, cause it's all typed and ready ;)


	11. The Gaming Tournament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ;) Enjoy

The day of the tournament was tense but exciting. Calliope threw on her uniform, too lazy to pick out a casual outfit. After doing everything else she walked out to the arcade, the air buzzing with chatter and joy. 

“Wow…” Hana and Ian’s tournament was first, thus Calliope took her seat up front. 

“Hey Callie!” Luke greeted, sitting next to her. Hidden Block joined him, and soon the room filled.

“Hey guys. I’m so excited for Hana to win.” Calliope grinned, sticking her tongue out at them.

“Oh hush.” Jeff chuckled. Luke put his thumbs up at Hana, and Ian grumbled.

“Would it kill you to root for your own teammate?” Everyone in the group chortled.

“3… 2… 1…” The Emcee announced, and the game started. 

Eventually, Hana did win. 

The room filled with cheers, and the two high-fived. Ian left the stage, and walked over to the Hidden Block group.

“Part one completed. Time to lose, Luke.” Ian teased, and the hatted man let out a breath of faux frustration. 

“Hana! There you are.” Luke greeted, walking up to her. Calliope followed, coming up from behind. He grabbed her shoulders and turned her, making the pinkette jump. “What are you doing? Weirdo.” 

“Hey, you scared her.” Calliope chastised, poking him in the rib. Luke shook his head at the blonde, and turned back to Hana.

“Have you seen PBG? Our match is in an hour, and he still hasn’t shown up.” Luke asked, worried.

“What?!” Hana gasped, her jaw dropping. She glanced at her phone, Calliope and Luke sharing a sideways glance. “Thanks, Luke! I’ve got it covered!” Hana rushed off.

“Poor Peebs. He must be tired from last night.” Calliope frowned.

“I’m sure he’ll be fine. Come on, let’s get to the pinballs.” Luke moved his head, nodding at the machines. Luke started up his part of the tournament while waiting for PBG, and Calliope cheered for him. People watched as he continued on, cheering when he got a high number.

Soon enough, PBG and Hana ran in, panting. He was on his last leg.

“No!” The ball fell through the cracks and his round finished. 

Overall he had 1,375,200. He walked back over to Calliope, watching as PBG, with a smug face, pulled back the crank and started.

There was many balls to be had. One, two, three. Calliope and Luke waited patiently, though with a tense edge.

“I believe in you!” Hana’s voice rose from people’s cheers and gasps. Calliope smiled, watching happily as PBG kept going. 

“I wonder…” Luke mumbled, watching as PBG tried shooting for the corner.

Suddenly the machine lit up and a beam-up sound effect went off. 

“Ah, he found a secret.” Luke sighed dramatically. Calliope giggled, patting his arm.

1,895,800 points in total for PBG.

Hana screamed, “You won! You won!” sprinting over to PBG. Calliope cheered with the crowd, grabbing Luke’s arm and jumping up and down. Luke smirked, watching them as Hana was spun in a circle in PBG’s arms. Luke put on a sad face as PBG pointed at him.

“Ha! You can suck it!” Luke held out his hand, a solemn look on his face. Calliope guffawed, holding her abdomen.

“What can I say? The better man won.” Luke sighed, but beamed at the two. “I guess Hana will get what she deserves this way.”

“Yeah she will.”

“Pardon?” Hana blushed. PBG blushed and looked away while Luke laughed, Calliope leaning against Luke.

“Don’t worry about it. You’re perfect.” Luke laughed at her confusion, and Calliope followed as they left. Luke dug into his pocket, pulling out a letter.

“You ready for this?” Calliope asked, smirking.

“As always, queen.” He joked, patting her head.

* * *

Calliope stood in front of the crowd as Hidden Block and Normal Boots watched the Emcee tallying the scores.

“The winner of the 2015 South Southwest Tournament is…” There was a pause, and the tense atmosphere grew. “The Normal Boots club!”

People cheered as Normal Boots went up stage. Calliope hugged the Hidden Block boys from behind, giving them a grin. 

“You guys did great. I’m proud.”

“Thanks Callie!” 

PBG announced Hana as the new member, and after Hana introduced herself PBG dropped a jacket onto her shoulders. 

Finally after five minutes Luke and Calliope trailed after PBG and Hana. 

“Hana! I was looking for you. I should’ve known I’d find you with this guy.” Luke greeted. Calliope sat down on a nearby bench, letting Luke take this on. Luke took out a small book and gave her the envelope, and Calliope looked confused at another envelope in there.

Luke hugged Hana, a pained expression on his face. Calliope felt struck with nerves, her heart pounding. Did Luke have an unrequited crush on Hana?

Hana hugged him back, blushing. She pulled away, tearing the letter open. 

“Whoa, Hana, wait!”

Hana started reading the letter to herself, but then out loud. 

“Me and Calliope took matters into our own hands…” Hana’s eyes drifted to Calliope for a second then went back to reading the letter, mentioning Thylight and even more information. 

“Wait… So…” Calliope grinned, a squeal coming from her lips. Luke motioned Calliope to come over, and he swung his arm around her waist.

“Me and Callie wanted to get you two together. You didn’t think we’d actually try to hurt you guys, right?” Luke asked, and then frowned. 

“Aw, did we scare you guys? It wasn’t our intention. Well, more like Luke’s since he wrote the last two letters.” Calliope huffed.

“Thanks for throwing me under the bus.” Luke muttered under his breath. Calliope chuckled, elbowing him in the ribs.

“So… You don’t want to date Hana?’

“PBG. Dude. Nooo, man! No! No offense, Hana.”

“None taken! In fact… thank you.” Hana blushed.

“We know that look. We’re getting outta here. I think you two need to talk a little bit alone.”

“Wait, what?” PBG cried. Luke dragged Calliope away as the two talked. PBG ran off, Hana running after him.

“Such an anime cliche.” Calliope teased. Hidden Block came out of the arcade finally, Jeff holding his hands behind his back.

“Guess what else?” 

“Huh?” Suddenly Calliope let out a tiny squeak as she could only see darkness for a couple of seconds. She pulled off the soft material, and she gasped. “Y-You guys…”

It was a Hidden Block jacket, obviously tailored to fit her. Calliope felt tears fall, hitting the jacket.

“Welcome to the club.” 

“Oh my gosh…” Calliope sobbed.

“Oh no she’s crying!” Wallid cried.

“Someone get my blanket!” Jimmy shouted. Calliope laughed, wiping her eyes. 

“I-I’m fine guys… I just…” She pulled it on, trying to stop crying. “I’m just so happy… I didn’t think…” 

“Group hug!” Jeff declared. They did so, even Ian and Caddy getting along in this group hug. After the group hug was finished, the club looked at Luke. Calliope looked at them confused, the tall man blushing darkly.

“Hey Cal, can I speak to you outside?” Luke asked, and Calliope could hear the waver in his voice.

“Oh yeah, sure, what’s up?” Calliope asked, following him to the outside. Luke nervously turned, grabbing the last envelope and giving it to her. “Huh?” She tore the envelope and pulled out the paper, unfolding it. She cleared her throat and started reading it out loud. 

“ _ Dear Calliope. There’s so many emotions to display in this letter, but I’ll try to keep this short and sweet. So, first off, thanks for being there for me. I don’t think these letters would have been as successful. Second off, once again, even though you hate me for saying it, sorry for being such a jerk the other day. Shoulda told you. And third off, I uh, want to ask you something. Ever since we started getting closer, I…” _ Calliope stopped, as that’s where the letter paused, his handwriting trailing off a bit.

“K-Keep reading.”

“Uhm…  _ I don’t know how to say this. I know this is a bad time to ask, and I’m ok with either answer, but.. Callie.. Will you go out with me sometime? As in, uh, my girlfriend?” _

It felt like time slowed down, and Calliope dropped the letter in shock.

“W-Wait.” Calliope managed to speak. “You… Like me?”

It all made sense. The blushing, the close interactions.

“Yes…” Luke mumbled, scratching his cheek. Calliope smiled and hugged him, much to his surprise.

“Good. Cause even with our mishaps, we’ve been through thick and thin. And I-”

Calliope felt herself be silenced, a blush rapidly growing on her face. 

Luke was kissing her.

Hearts sped, Calliope gripping his jacket as Luke wrapped his arms around her. He pulled away, and they stared into each other’s eyes. 

“I-I…”

‘Did I rush…?” Luke looked away shyly. 

“N-No, I’m just…” Calliope gulped. 

“Yes!” Jimmy cheered, and Calliope squeaked.

“Guys really?” Luke sighed, but smiled. 

“I had good feelings.” Ian confirmed. 

“This one’s going in the family album!” Wallid joked, showing off his phone, which had a picture of the kiss.

“Wallid!”

“Luke let them have their moment. We had ours.” Calliope giggled. Luke sighed, grasping her hand and lacing their fingers. Calliope brushed a lock of hair back behind her ear, smiling.

This had to be the best year yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the main story is over. But do not fret! More chapters will be made soon. I'm going to take a small break, but expect new updates by either Thursday or Friday! 
> 
> Constructive Criticism is always welcome
> 
> Peace!


	12. Dating and Musings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update,,, I got super busy with school and other things. I finally got the inspiration to start writing again, so here we are.   
> Hope ya'll enjoy!

It was about a couple of days after the tournament. Calliope fixed her jacket a bit, getting ready for the day.

“You look nice.” Yuki complimented. Calliope still couldn’t get used to the look of the jacket, but not in a bad way. It just felt odd, wearing a jacket everyday. But it was nice that it was breezy during warm days and warm during cold days. 

“Thanks Yu.” Calliope smiled, tying her ascot. Yuki, who woke up way earlier than Calliope, was already dressed and ready to go. 

“ _ Callie, she’s as cheerful as a border collie~” _ Calliope giggled, opening her door. Luke was leaning against the doorframe, a small grin on his face. 

“Good morning Rap God.” Calliope yawned. Luke leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 

“Good morning Cal.” Luke greeted. Calliope beamed up at him as he took her hand into his. Yuki gave a ghost of a smile, following them out of the dorm. 

“So what song are you working on today?” Calliope questioned.

“None.” 

“That’s an interesting rap name.” Calliope teased. 

“I’m not in the mood to work on anything today.” Luke shrugged. Calliope gasped, placing a hand to her chest.

“Luke doesn’t want to rap? What’s next, Yuki doesn’t want to draw?” Yuki sighed behind them. 

“In fact, I just want to spend time with you.” Calliope blushed, and smiled.

“Luke, you don’t have to.”

“Alright. But tomorrow I’ll help.” Calliope offered. 

“Fair enough.”

* * *

“Also, these are for you.” Luke handed Calliope a bundle of Camellia’s, red and pink to be exact.

“Aw! You didn’t have to get me flowers Luke.” Calliope smiled, blushing. He kissed her cheek, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“I wanted to.” Luke walked her into his dorm, Jimmy over at Wallid and Jeff’s to play Nokemon. 

“Oh my god Luke…” The dorm was dark, the glow of the tv illuminating said room. There was a pillow fort in front of the tv, some popcorn and other snacks pushed to the side. “You didn’t have to do this!” 

“I thought it’d be fun.” Luke grinned. Calliope sighed,

“I gotta do something for you sometime…”

“Eh.” Luke lead her over to the fort, kicking off his shoes and lying down. Calliope also took off her shoes, lying down next to him. 

“So what’s the show for tonight?” Calliope joked, scooching over so she was pressed up to his side. 

“The Small Mermaid, of course.” 

“Luke, that’s one of my favorite movies!” Calliope grinned. Luke kissed her cheek.

“I know.” 

* * *

Luke found it adorable how much Calliope was entranced by the story. It was almost like someone unleashed the inner kid and let it play to its heart’s content.

“Ooo!” Calliope beamed, one of her favorite scenes starting to play. She started to mumble the lyrics, swaying her head back and forth. Luke grinned, tapping his fingers to the beat.

“But you don’t know why but you gotta kiss the girl.” He sang, winking at Calliope. 

“You’re so cheesy.” The blonde joked, Luke carrying on with the song. She leaned against him, humming with his singing. 

Finally after the song ended, Calliope kissed Luke. He kissed back, playing with her hair. She pulled away, grinning.

“I can’t help it. You’re adorable.”

“Oh hush! If I’m adorable then you’re beautiful.”

“Then I’m the most beautiful man alive.” He joked, making Calliope chortle.

* * *

Yuki kicked up her feet onto the desk, sketching out a figure. She sighed, realizing who it was as she started on the face and head. She kept on drawing anyways, she had come this far.

Shane Gill. 

He stuck out in her memory like a rash. But not necessarily in a bad way. 

She could remember that rainy night. She had just been rejected by her latest crush. A girl named Olivia, and it was raining harshly. As she was sitting under a tree, the rain had stopped.

And Shane Gill waltzed into her life.

He was quiet, maybe shy, but was also blunt and sometimes even rude. Not that she minded, she wasn’t any better.

But it was also the first time anyone had showed kindness to her. It had been a year before Callie came to Asagao, after all.

He had held the umbrella over her, getting soaked as he held the umbrella to her.

_ “Take it. _ ” He had said. She had refused, but Shane had shoved the umbrella right into her hands. Their hands had brushed together, Yuki could still feel the heat rise to her cheeks.

Actually, that was happening right now.

“Damnit.” She muttered, shoving the sketchbook away.

Deny it all she wanted to, she knew she had a crush on the British transfer student.

And deep down, she didn’t mind. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dating bit with Luke singing is a reference to him during one stream! Ya'll should check out his twitch sometime, his streams are p chill and nice stress relievers.   
> More to come, hopefully I won't take as long to update next time!  
> Peace!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this, constructive criticism is always welcome. Future chapters will be longer, this is just more like the prologue for now. I might change the title, but for now it'll be that.


End file.
